This is an analysis of the poem Life's Canvas that begins with:

Sunshine and shadow and laughter and tears,
These are forever the paints of the years,...

Elements of the verse: questions and answers

The information we provided is prepared by means of a special computer program. Use the criteria sheet to understand greatest poems or improve your poetry analysis essay.

  • Rhyme scheme: aabbXacc ccddeebb ccffggcc
  • Stanza lengths (in strings): 8,8,8,
  • Closest metre: iambic pentameter
  • Сlosest rhyme: couplets
  • Сlosest stanza type: tercets
  • Guessed form: heroic couplets
  • Metre: 1111111011 1101001000 1101001111 1101001011 1101001011 1011001001 1001111001 1011001011 1101001011 1101001001 1101011101 1001001001 1111001001 100111111 1111001111 1001011001 1001111001 1011001001 1001101011 01001001101 1111001101 1111001101 1101101001 1111111001
  • Amount of stanzas: 3
  • Average number of symbols per stanza: 334
  • Average number of words per stanza: 65
  • Amount of lines: 24
  • Average number of symbols per line: 41 (medium-length strings)
  • Average number of words per line: 8
  • Mood of the speaker:

    The punctuation marks are various. Neither mark predominates.

  • The author used lexical repetitions to emphasize a significant image; and, with are repeated.

    The poet used anaphora at the beginnings of some neighboring lines. The same word we is repeated.

If you write a school or university poetry essay, you should Include in your explanation of the poem:

  • summary of Life's Canvas;
  • central theme;
  • idea of the verse;
  • history of its creation;
  • critical appreciation.

Good luck in your poetry interpretation practice!

More information about poems by Edgar Albert Guest